SCULPTURE IN THE SYSTEM OF DEVELOPING SPATIAL THINKING OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Abstract

The article examines the role of sculpture as an academic discipline in the development of spatial thinking of interior designers within contemporary design education. The relevance of the study is обусловлена transformations in educational models, the growing importance of project-based learning and digital technologies, which necessitate a re-evaluation of fundamental artistic disciplines. Sculpture is considered as an integrative educational tool that promotes plastic thinking, constructive form analysis and spatial imagination. The research substantiates that spatial thinking is a key professional competence of an interior designer, as it determines the ability to operate with volumetric-spatial structures, scale and proportions in real environments. Unlike purely graphic or digital forms of thinking, sculptural practice fosters awareness of the materiality of form, its physical properties and plastic logic. The article analyzes the place of sculptural training in interior design curricula and its influence on the development of spatial synthesis skills, sense of scale and harmonious proportions. It is demonstrated that systematic sculptural practice contributes to the formation of holistic spatial perception and enhances the quality of students’ project thinking. Interaction with material form generates tactile and visual-spatial experience that cannot be fully replaced by digital modeling tools. The scientific novelty of the study lies in substantiating sculpture as a key factor in the development of professional spatial thinking of interior designers and defining it as an integrative component of contemporary design education.